Quick release ballast weights and belt

ABSTRACT

Safety-weight for ballast-belts for use by skin-divers for fishing, to be used preferably in an assembly of similar weights, comprising an annular member made of lead and provided with a central bushing of resistant material having suitable internal annular beads for snap-connection of said weight to a suitable device provided with a diametrically resilient head having a suitable configuration and to be connected to the ballast-belt. The weight is characterized in that said central bushing has permanently mounted therein an axially movable pushbutton which is accessible from outside and can operate on the resilient head of the connection device, which head- under the action of said pushbutton-will be diametrically contracted thus releasing the lead annular member which, therefore, will be disconnected.

United States Hatent Stradella et all. 1 Mar. M, 1972 [54] QUICK RELEASE BALLAST WEIGHTS 1,563,350 12/1925 Field et a1 ..24/110 AND BELT 3,192,723 7/1965 Apperson 3,401,529 9 1968 FT Id ..61 70 [72] Inventors: Giuseppe Stradella; Umberto StradelIa, I m I both of Via Roma 13; Giuliano Daniele, Via Roma 244 D; Fernado Gatti, Via $212533 Cavour 37, all of Recco, Italy y p p [22] Filed: Aug. 5, 11969 [57] ABSTRACT [21] App1.No.: 847,641 Safety-weight for ballast-belts for use by skin-divers for fishing, to be used preferably in an assembly of similar weights, 30 F comprising an annular member made of lead and provided 1 App canon Pnomy Dam with a central bushing of resistant material having suitable in- Aug. 6, 1968 Italy ..7224 A/68 te -n annular beads for snap-connection of said weight to a suitable device provided with a diametrically resilient head U-S- I0, having a uitable configuration and to be connected to the b [51] -A47g 1,10 A44b 1/381 363C 1 1/00 last-belt. The weight is characterized in that said central bush- [58] Field of Search ..2/21 1, 219; 61/70; 16/1; ing has permanently mounted therein an axiauy movable 24/214 110 pushbutton which is accessible from outside and can operate R f Chd on the resilient head of the connection device, which heade erences under the action of said pushbutt0n-will be diametrically UNITED STATES PATENTS contracted thus releasing the lead annular member which,

therefore, will be disconnected. 1,815,624 7/1931 Keillor ..24/102 A 1,522,139 1/ 1925 Pilcher et a1 ..24/110 41 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures U U U U U PAIENTEDMAR W I972 INVI'IN'I'OR.

QUICK RELEASE BALLAST WEIGHTS AND BELT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the field of skin-diving and of skin-diver fishing, ballastbelts are widely used having threaded thereon lead weights, to facilitate the deep plunging of a skin-diver. Skin-diving is, however, not exempt from dangers, and often the diver must return up to the surface rapidly, which is not possible if he wears said ballast-belt. The object of this invention is to propose a ballast-means which is quickly disconnectable in case of need, thus overcoming said drawback.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The device according to the invention substantially comprises a ballast member, adapted to be used either singly or in a plurality of similar members, designed to be fixed to a conventional belt by a special clamping device which can be quickly disconnected by operating on a pushbutton incor porated centrally in said ballast member, the latter preferably made of lead-upon depressing the pushbutton falls onto the bottom of the sea, thus alleviating the belt worn by the diver.

Brief Description of the Drawing In the following specification and claims, parts will be identified by specific names for convenience, but such names are intended to be as generic in their application to similar parts as the art will permit. The enclosed drawing shows, by way of nonlimitating example, a preferred embodiment of the invention. Like references indicate like parts in the several figures of the drawing, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an axial sectional view of the safety-weight according to the invention, provided with pushbutton and clamp to be fixed to a belt, said clamp being in the operating position;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the disconnection pushbutton and of the snapring holding said pushbutton in position;

FIG. 3 is an axial sectional view of only the weight of lead with its reinforcement bushing;

FIG. 4 is a side view of a length of belt with clamping device for releasable connection of the ballast-weight.

Description of the Preferred Embodiment Referring more particularly to the drawing, showing a preferred embodiment of the invention, the safety-weight for ballast-belts according to the invention comprises a discshaped member I made of lead or any other alloy of like characteristics. The member 1 is provided with an axial reinforcement bushing 2 made of brass, bronze or stainless steel. This bushing is incorporated and anchored in the member 1 during the casting thereof and to this end it comprises one or more annular anchoring grooves 3 on the outside thereof. On the inner side of its throughbore, the bushing is provided of some shoulders for correctly receiving the connection and disconnection members of the device forming the substantial portion of the invention.

The connection member comprises a circular cup-shaped clamp 4 having a relatively wide support base. Said base is provided centrally with a threaded hole for receiving a screw 5 with intermediate washer 6 for fixing said clamp 4 on a ballastbelt 7 (FIG. 4). The clamp 4 has an upper bevelled portion and a lower grooved portion 8 (FIG. 4), the latter forming the means for connection within the member 1 which to this purpose is provided with a mating annular head 9 (FIG. 3). Preferably, the clamp is made of suitable plastics material, and to ensure a springlike action, the body portion of the clamp has a plurality of radial slots 10 extending down to the base of the clamp.

Within the upper portion of bushing 2 is mounted, so asto be slidable in an axial direction, a pushbutton ill the lower end of which has a recess with a lip having a bevelled inner edge mating with the bevelled upper portion of clamp 4. The pushbutton is held correctly in the seat thereof by a snapring 12 which is pressure-fitted in the bushing 2, the arrangement being such as to permit a short axial movement of pushbutton ll ll.

As particularly viewed in FIG. 1, it is apparent how-in case of need-the user can effect the disconnection, that is the disengagement of the weight ll from the belt 7. By depressing the pushbutton 1 inwards in the weight l, the lower recess of the pushbutton will engage onto the upper bevelled and slotted portion of clamp 4. This action causes the clamp 4 to contract to'such an extent as to disengage from the seat thereof and to permit the weight l to slide out therefrom.

To reengage the weight, the latter is just to be fitted on the clamp, while exerting a slight pressure on the disc-shaped body. As obvious, the engagement or connection will occur in a snaplike fashion.

The ballast-weight according to this invention may be used either alone or in a plurality thereof, and its external configuration, instead of cylindrical or disc shaped, may be of square, hexagon, or octagon shape, or of any other shape. Finally, the outer surface thereof, preferably, is coated by a protective layer of suitable protective plastic material, and-in order to permit the article to be mass-produced--the bushing 2 may be made of resistant plastic material, such as nylon, super-polyamide and the like, in which case the ballast member ll would be conveniently reinforced by embedding therein one or more annular inserts of steel or other metal having similar resistance, so as to prevent the member l to be deformed in case of shocks.

Changes and modifications may be made in the embodiment described hereinbefore and shown in the accompanying drawing, without departing from the basic principle of this invention.

We claim:

ll. In a quick release ballast-weight for attachment to a diving belt the combination comprising: a weight member having a body portion with major and minor faces thereon, means defining a central opening extending completely through said weight between said major faces, an insert fixedly disposed within said opening, said insert including a central bore portion defining an opening completely through said insert and first, second, and third counter bore portions extending into said bore, a connection member including a substantially discshaped base member of a diameter slightly smaller than that of said first counter bore portion in said insert and designed to be wholly contained therewithin when said weight member and said connection member are in assembled relation, said connection further including a coaxial inwardly directed substantially resilient cup-shaped clamp portion having an angularly disposed annular shoulder adjacent its innermost end which at its greatest diameter is larger than said bore of said insert and at its smallest diameter smaller than said bore in said insert,

' said annular dimensioned to extend through said bore and into said second counter bore and removably secured therein by radial expansion of said annular shoulder portion into said second counter bore, disconnection means disposed within said second counter bore including a substantially cup-shaped pushbutton including an annular bevel on the inner face of the wall of said cup-shaped pushbutton, said annular bevel being complementary to and selectively engageable with the annular shoulder of said cup-shaped clamp portion to move said clamp portion upon depression of said pushbutton between connecting and disconnecting positions, retaining ring means disposed within said first counter bore to retain said pushbutton wholly within said insert and said body portion of said weight, and fastening means interconnecting said connection member and said diving belt whereby when said weight member is released from said connection member by actuation of said pushbutton said connection member is retained on said diving belt.

2. A safety-weight according to claim said ballast-weight comprises corrosion resisting material, and said ballast-weight having embedded therein at least one insert.

3. A safety-weight according to claim 1, said connecting device is provided at the lower end of said annular shouldered plurality of openings extending through said web portion at spaced intervals throughout the length thereof, said ballastweight means selectively releaseably attached to said belt including portions extending through at least one selected opening in said belt. 

1. In a quick release ballast-weight for attachment to a diving belt the combination comprising: a weight member having a body portion with major and minor faces thereon, means defining a central opening extending completely through said weight between said major faces, an insert fixedly disposed within said opening, said insert including a central bore portion defining an opening completely through said insert and first, second, and third counter bore portions extending into said bore, a connection member including a substantially disc-shaped base member of a diameter slightly smaller than that of said first counter bore portion in said insert and designed to be wholly contained therewithin when said weight member and said connection member are in assembled relation, said connection further including a coaxial inwardly directed substantially resilient cup-shaped clamp portion having an angularly disposed anNular shoulder adjacent its innermost end which at its greatest diameter is larger than said bore of said insert and at its smallest diameter smaller than said bore in said insert, said annular dimensioned to extend through said bore and into said second counter bore and removably secured therein by radial expansion of said annular shoulder portion into said second counter bore, disconnection means disposed within said second counter bore including a substantially cup-shaped pushbutton including an annular bevel on the inner face of the wall of said cup-shaped pushbutton, said annular bevel being complementary to and selectively engageable with the annular shoulder of said cup-shaped clamp portion to move said clamp portion upon depression of said pushbutton between connecting and disconnecting positions, retaining ring means disposed within said first counter bore to retain said pushbutton wholly within said insert and said body portion of said weight, and fastening means interconnecting said connection member and said diving belt whereby when said weight member is released from said connection member by actuation of said pushbutton said connection member is retained on said diving belt.
 2. A safety-weight according to claim 1 said ballast-weight comprises corrosion resisting material, and said ballast-weight having embedded therein at least one insert.
 3. A safety-weight according to claim 1, said connecting device is provided at the lower end of said annular shouldered portion with an annular groove, a central screw and a relatively large washer disposed for attaching said connecting device to said ballast-belt.
 4. A ballast-weight according to claim 1 comprising, a waist encircling belt including an elongated web portion, buckle means interconnecting the free ends thereof, means defining a plurality of openings extending through said web portion at spaced intervals throughout the length thereof, said ballast-weight means selectively releaseably attached to said belt including portions extending through at least one selected opening in said belt. 